Improvement in the hair-springs of watches



G. KLINE.

Watch Spring. No. 109.826. Patented Dec. 6, 1870.

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dinitcd gist-e5 fiction dtiijiire.

CALVIN KLINE, 0F BROOKLYN, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR TO HIMSELEAND GEORGE E. HART, OF NEWARK, NEW JERSEY.

Letters Patent No. 109,826, dated December 6, 1870.

IMPROVEMENT IN THE HAIR-SPRINGS OF WATCHES, &c.

The Schedule referred to in theae Letters Patent and making part at the same.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, CALVIN KLINE, of Brooklyn, in thecounty of Kings, in the State of New York, have inveuted certain new and useful Improvements in Pendent-Springs or HaiaSprings for Ghrononreters and other time-keepers; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full and exact description thereof.

My invention relatcsto'the form in which the spring is bent, either before or after the tempering. It insures a more equable action in all parts of the metal, and when properly carried out it gives almost or exactly perfect isochronism.

It has long been a desideratum to so adjust watches and time-keepers generally that, however the force of the main-spring may vary, or however the friction or other resistance may change from the evaporation or hardening of the lubricating material, or from the accumulation of dust or the like, the amount of oscillation of the balance or escapementshaft may vary without in the least degree changing the time in which it eompletes'a vibration.

I will proceed to describe what I consider thebest means ofca-rrying out my invention, and will after? ward designate the points which I believe to be new therein. The accompanying drawing forms a part of this specification Figure 1 is a top view of-a helical, or what is-gcn erally known as the ohrouometer style of spring, construetedaccording to my invention;

Figure 2 is a sectionon the line S, in fig. 1;

Figure 3 is a top view of a Hat spring, so'called, the style commonly used in moderate-pricedwatches, constructed according to my invention; and

Figure 4 is section ofthe same on the liue'l T in fig. 3.

It will be understood that all the other parts of the mechanism may be as usual, and that my spring is attached to a fixed stud at one end, and to the vibrating shaft at the other, and that neither of the fast-eniugs is represented.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts-in all the figures.

A is the main body of the sprin The manufacture of the wire and its tempering may be conducted in the ordinary or any suitable manner. I prefer to give the spring, prior to the hardening, the exact form which it is to maintain when at rest. The usual method maybe followed in coiling, with the oxcep tion of, a portion near the end.

This portion I will designate A" A A A. The last part, A, is bent to agree with the curvature oi the main portion A. The intermediate portions, A A A, extend across the spring, but not in a right line. The curvature of the parts A A is in the same direction as that or" the main portion A, but is a stud has two entirely distinct effects.

quiekercurve. The part A which lies near the axis of the entire spring, has a curvature in the reverse direction.

My spring is adapted to be mounted in the ordinary manner, one end being fixed, with or without adjustability, to the cseapement-shaft, or to a collar fitting tightly thereon, and the other end being fixed adjust- .ably in the usual style, not represented.

The portion A, which corresponds in curvature and in position with the main body A, should be sulficiently long to allow adjustment "forward and backward in the stud. It should, also, in case it is intended to apply the ordinary regulator, be made sutiiciently'long to allow, also, for that.

The connection of the stud and the regulator to the port-ion A, may be in the ordinary manner, the same as if-thc peculiarly curved portion r A A was not present, and need not be minutely described.

Shifting the spring forward and backward in the One is the ordinary effect, to make the watch go faster or slower, generally, in all conditions. This, may, however, be counteracted by corrcspoinlingly changing the timescrews, Another effect is to change the condition with regardto isochrouism. I

It is important to understand that with my improved spring the spring must not be moved .back- 'ard or forward in the stud to make the watch go faster or slower; The changes in that respect, to wit: the general change of the watch, so that under all conditions it will go faster or slower, must be made by screwing in aud out the time-screws.

These screws are not represented, but are perfectly familiar to makers and adjusters of watches and ehronometers. The scrcwsare fitted into the periphery, and there is usually quite a number. Screwing in one or more of these screws has the effect of contracting the effective diameter of the balancewheel, and making the watch or chronometer go faster. Screwiug out one or more of these screws will make the watch go slower;

I will describetho adjustment for isocln'onisni Of a first-class chronomcter.

in putting together the parts of a chrouomcter having my in'ipro'vod spring, I mount the spring with the stud about in the. middle of the portion A", and secure it there. Now when the t-zlironometerhas run a litilc while, I adjust the time-screws until it keeps goon time under ordinary conditions. I am ready now to commence adjustment with regard to its isochrouous condition.

i test the ohronometcr in this respect by any of the ordinary means. I will assume that the watch is run for a time in densely compressed air. The increased resistance due to this causereduces the amount of motion of the balance-wheel. If the watch is in per-- feet adjustment with regard to isochronisnnthis fact will make no difference in its rate of running The intent of my invention is to effect this great desideratum. Sometimes it will be found on a severe trial that the chronometer is perfectly isochroncus on the first trial, but usuaiiy the reducing of the extent of the vibrations will chaugeitsrate. In such case I adjust the spring forward and backward in the stud, and such adjustment has the effect to change its condition in regard to isochronism.

1 may repeat, that the adjustment will, of course, also change its condition with regard to its ordinary rate of runnin But this, it will be understood, must be' compensated for by a readjustment of the time-screws. it is now important only to attend to the isochronous condition. When the spring has been shifted forward or backward enough to make the ehronometcr perfectly isochronous, the time-screws maybe afterward adjusted to make the time faster or slower, until it is just right.

Springs will vary, however exactly they are shaped and tempered, and some specimens may require to be adjusted further forward or backward in the stud toinduce a given amount of change in regard to the isochronous condition. In some instances very little change may be induced by a considerable adj ustmeut, and in others even the effect will he thercv'crse of that usually observed. Ordinarily, however, the shortening of the spring will tend to make the chronometer go slower with the short vibrations. I should commence with the spring-adjusting on that theory. It the spring required adjustment the other way, on discovering this fact-I adapt my adjustn'ient thereto, and it will be well in such cases to record the fact to aid in future adjustments. lncase the spring be found not susceptihle of adjustment in this manner, it should he rejected and another of my springs substituted and submit-ted to the same process of adj ustmeat.

'Itis unnecessary to state that the testing for isochronisnl may be conducted with 'almost equal facility by putting the chrouomet-cr in a vacuum or partial vacuum, in which case the extent of the vibrations of the balance-wheel will be increased. A chronometer may be subjected to both tests, if pro-- ferred. In practice, usually, the changes due to an evaporation or ioss of the lubricating material and hardening of the same in very cold weather, r the accumulation of dust and analogous resistants, aii tend to diminish the extent of the vibrations, and it is this condition which it is especially important to provide for; buta watch or chronoineter' having my spring, when once properly adjusted, will be absolutely isoehronous under either condition; that is to say, whether the balance-wheel vibrates to a lesser extent or to a greater extent than that to which it is originally intended to work.

It will, of course, he understood that the adjustments of the cln'onometcrtor time, and for expansions and contractions byheat and cold, may be repeated before and after the .adjustments which I have described for isoehronism, and this may be repeated any number of times which is found to be expedient to secure the very highest possible degree of perfection in the final result. 1

I have given as definite instructions as I am able in regard to the practical carrying out of my invention, and have demonstrated by experiment its success. It may not be necessary to lay down any theory in regard to its action.

I am not prepared as yet to demonstrate the reasons for the advantages due to the chief novel feature of my spring, to wit, the reversed curvethereiu; but I have proved by trial that it has decided advantages. I believe that it contributes, by the novel manner in which it presents the material to induce a positive stitfuess in that portion of thespriug, so that the elasticity of the reversed portion and of the quicklycurved portions adjacent is not fully availed of in the short vibrations of the spring, and, therefore, the spring is practically short for the short vibrations.

When the vibrations are increased in extent, the

the elasticity of the short curved portions A A A and under these conditions the spring is longer.

Instead of setting the spring in a stud with a pin,

as usual, I prefer resting it in a clamp having its jaws the adjustable portion A of the sprin But this is not absolutely essential, and itmay be preferred by mostcoustructors to fit it in the usual stud, as above described.

In order to be. exactly understood in regard to what is here termed the reversed curve, it may be remarked that the portion A A A of my spring is curved in two directions; that is to say, the parts A and A are curved in one direction, the same as the maiuportion of the spring, aml the part A is curved in the opposite direction, and that the curves of all these parts A A Aiare quicker, or on smaller radii, than 1 the main portion of the sprin I believe that the proportions and relations represented are the best which are possibly attainable.

Although the relative radii of the curves may be varied within moderate limits, I deem it absolutely essential to success that the curves be reversed; that is to say, that the curve A be in the opposite direc tion to those adjacent thereto.

1 claim- The adjustable pendent-spring for time-keepers herein described, having a reversed curve of small radius, with a suflicicnt length of spring beyond it, as shown by A, to allow the adj ustmeut'to be made on material having the ordinary curvature, all substanl tially as and for the purposes herein set forth.

i In testimony whereof, I have hereunto set my l name in presence of two subscribing witnesses.

CALVIN KLXNE.

Witnesses:

WM. 0. buy, (Lnorzas D. Srn'rsos.

spring winds and nnwinds so much as to draw upon curved to exactly correspond with the curvature of 

